Learn the Benefit of Pressing

Guest blogger Pastor Gabriel Stovall is the Pastor of New Life Church in Atlanta, Georgia. He is also a journalist and a friend of Breakthrough Ministries.

I remember listening to a football coach give instruction to his young running back about how to get more yards whenever he touched the ball. He said, “Son, when you hit that line…that first level of resistance, you have to keep your legs moving. Keep churning your legs. A good running back always keeps his legs moving.”

The coach called this PRESSING the line. The idea behind it was that the relentless persistence of the runner over time would wear down the opposition, and the plays that only went for 3 or 4 yards in the first quarter of a football game will break for 10, 15 or 20 yards…perhaps even long touchdown runs…In the 4th quarter.

Apostle Paul wasn’t a football player, but he too understood what it meant to PRESS. In Philippines 3:14 when he wrote, “I PRESS toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christian Jesus, ” He used the Greek word: “dioko,” which literally means: “To follow, press hard, pursue with earnestness and diligence with a desire to obtain.”

In other words, Paul was saying, “I’m going to keep my legs moving.” I’m not going to stop just because resistance comes. In fact, when resistance comes, I’m going to press even harder to get through that line.

Paul knew what the football coach understood: The best way to discourage the opposition is to show the opposition that you are NOT discouraged. Pretty soon your small victories over sin will become big ones. One day of overcoming insecurity will become a week. One month of overcoming addiction will become a year, until what once had you bound, you’ll find yourself running away from it, completely free!

The reward of PRESSING is the eventual realization that you can’t be bottled up, contained or held back forever. Eventually you’re going to find your way to the “endzone.”